AirMech, Fast Paced Indie RTS Action

I just love stumbling upon addicting itty bitty indie games! AirMech’s the name, base-capture RTS is the style, and fast-paced is the gameplay. It draws from popular RTS roots (LoL, DotA) through the implementation of creeps, but creates a unique feel with its “build a battlefield” feature. That might sound a little corny, but bear with me.

Fast-paced leveling system that unlocks new pilots (general buffs/debuffs) and units as you gain XP.

Wide array of units to choose from; versatile combat.

Solo PvE, Coop PvE, and PvP. Solo PvE only gives rewards for 90min.

By “build a battlefield,” I mean you can use your AirMech to pick up and transport any unit you create, creating defensive perimeters around outposts, walling off strategic points, or deterring early rushes with anti-air.

I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Let’s start with the basics: You play one of seven different models of AirMechs, and try to destroy the enemy’s fortress with dakka while protecting your own. You’ve got Ground Mode and Air Mode, the latter being used for movement and troop transport. You’ve got HP and Energy. HP needs no introduction. Energy is necessary to carry troops, use abilities, and fly quickly in air mode. Idling on top of an outpost/fortress while in Air Mode will quickly regen both; do this often.

There are two resources to keep an eye on when building: Build credit, which is essentially in-game currency used to purchase units, and Power, which determines how quickly you can build things in quick succession. Power drains each time you pop something out of your fortress/outpost, and regenerates quicker with less units on the field. If you have too many units out, it may actually begin to degen, which essentially grinds your troop construction to a halt. Icky.

Death isn’t too big a deal in this game. From what little I’ve played, the metagame seems to revolve around outpost control. The more outposts you control, the more build credits you get, and the more of the battlefield you have vision of. Sure, getting blown up means you lose a major chunk of your build credits, but those regenerate quickly enough to make the loss insignificant.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that AirMechs operates in phases. I didn’t really see how long said phases last because of the intensity of the gameplay, but I’d say five to six minutes is a safe guess. Each phase grants each team more Power, each increment being 20%. At the midway mark, both fortresses are restored to full heath, and a large sum of build credits are dumped on both teams. Late game and overtime should be Power buffs… but I’m not sure.

AirMech! Concluding statement: RTS fans should give it a shot. People who don’t have a broom up their ass about pro-gaming, meta strategies, and PvP centric play will love this. I do hope the competitive masses take their time ruining this one with unnecessary balancing. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a laid-back RTS style mech game, and this is just what the doctor ordered.